HostMonster Web Hosting Help

How to Change the Primary Domain

If you would like to get started but don't have an account you can sign for one at HostMonster.com.

If you are dissatisfied with the domain name you previously registered, you are welcome to register a new name that you prefer. In doing so, you will own both names. Once the domain registration for the original name is ready to expire, simply forego renewal (i.e. do not pay the renewal fee).

HostMonster is happy to assist you in changing the primary domain for your account. Before contacting us to make the change, please review the following information regarding renaming an account.

What You Should Know Before Renaming Your Account

The process can take 20 mins to 5 hours, depending on the size of your account.

Usernames, passwords, files and databases will remain unchanged.

Despite this, we recommend that you backup the websites and databases then download them to your computer.

Website files for both domains involved may need to be moved in order for the sites to function after the rename. You will need to move files for the new primary domain into the public_html directory and files for the old main domain in a subfolder of public_html. The old primary domain can be assigned to this subfolder after the rename is complete.

This will be your responsibility to do, and may cause some site files, scripts or other applications to break, requiring modification to work with the new site location.

The new primary domain will point to the public_html directory itself (the same way the primary domain does currently).

Forwarders on these domains will be updated to match the new Primary Domain Name.

Any custom DNS changes made to either of these domains will be lost and will need to be redone. Cloudflare will also be deactivated on these domains.

This will most likely only take a few minutes, but it could take up to a few hours.

This will break the ability to publish a Weebly site on the old and new primary domain (if the customer has ever logged into Weebly).

How to Rename Your Account

When you are ready to have your account renamed, simply contact us via Phone or Chat. Be sure to include the following information to expedite the request:

Primary Domain

New Primary Domain

Last four characters of cPanel password

Confirm that you have read and understand account rename information (e.g.: "I have read and understand the account rename information including: my username will not change and I have backed up my files/databases in case there is any data lost during the rename process.")

Newly registered domains can only be canceled within 3 days of purchase. If you would like the primary domain released and refunded as part of the rename process, please indicate this in the rename request.

If you would like to get started but don't have an account you can sign for one at HostMonster.com.

Transfer Domain Registration: When a domain registration is transferred to us, we must register the domain name for a minimum of one (1) year. We only accept registrations for the .com, .net, .org, . (updated 110 days ago)